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When the West Side Burned | Chicago Stories

When the West Side Burned

In the days after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, columns of smoke rose above Chicago’s West Side. The murder of a man who preached nonviolence in the face of struggle ignited grief and rage as uprisings spread in cities across the United States with violence, looting, and fires. On the West Side, the anguish was palpable as 11 people died, hundreds were injured, thousands were arrested, and approximately 200 buildings were destroyed.

Firefighters tackle a large blaze at a building with 'Clothes' on its signage. Smoke billows into the sky, and fire trucks are positioned nearby. Emergency responders and a soldier stand at the scene in an urban setting.
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A soldier in uniform and helmet, holding a rifle, stands in the middle of a city street. Buildings are on either side, and smoke rises in the background.

Remembering the 1968 Riots on Chicago’s West Side

A national guardsman looks on amid the destruction on the West Side following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Credit: ST-17200864-0090, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum

As shockwaves from the news of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. rippled their way around the world on April 4, 1968, Chicago was on edge. Violent rebellions in the form of riots, looting, and arson had already begun in many American cities. Parts of Chicago, particularly on the West Side of the city, would endure several days of the same. The riots on Chicago’s West Side, concentrated on Madison Street and Roosevelt Road, rose to a boiling point – an angry outpouring of grief that left lasting scars on the streets, structures, and people in the community.

The people who grew up on the West Side, first responders, and others who witnessed the events told Chicago Stories about their experiences during the several days of turmoil that... Read more

Photos from the Uprising

People looting a store near Cicero Avenue in Austin
Credit: ST-17100533-0002, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
Black and white photo of police officers arresting a person on an urban street during the Chicago riots. One officer holds the person's arms behind their back, while several others stand nearby, one with a baton.
Credit: ST-17200911-0016, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
People looting West Madison Street near Cicero Avenue following following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Credit: ST-17100067-0002, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
National Guard holds back crowd as firemen battle fire in the Robert Hall Clothing Store on Washington Boulevard and Pulaski Road.
Credit: ST-17200872-0060, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
Buildings burn during Holy Week Uprising following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination
Credit: ST-17500709-E1, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
Black and white photo of five fire fighters spraying with a fire hose
Credit: ST-17200951-003, Chicago Sun-Times Collection, Chicago History Museum
Flames engulf the area around Homan Avenue and Fifth Avenue following the news of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Chicago, Illinois.
Credit: ST-17501023-E1, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
A firefighter sits on a stool as the hose positioned next to him sprays water on a three story burning building.
Credit: ST-17200872-0075, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
National Guard patrols West Madison Street amid vandalism and fires following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Chicago, Illinois.
Credit: ST-17100051-0008, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
Guard patrols the west side area along Madison Street.
Credit: ST-17200872-0057, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
National Guard and police patrol 63rd Street on Sunday after Holy Week Uprising.
Credit: ST-17100051-0007, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
Armed National Guard service members standing in front of two African American boys
Credit: Chicago History Museum, ICHi-062884; Declan Haun, photographer
Armed National Guard service members walk past gated stores, one with their pistol drawn and pointing up.
Credit: ST-17200864-0089, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
A National Guard service member stands with rifle and attached bayonet raised as firefighters spray hoses on the building in the background.
Credit: ST-17100051-0018, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
Color photo of two National Guards in front of buildings' ruins
Credit: Chicago History Museum, ICHi-068946; Declan Haun, photographer
Army troops from Fort Carson in Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois.
Credit: ST-17100533-0017, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
A woman at Liberty Baptist Church mourns the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Aftermath of the King Assassination through the Lens of a Chicago Photographer

In a photograph taken by Bob Black, a woman at Liberty Baptist Church mourns the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Credit: Bob Black, ST-17302136-0005, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum

In March 1968, Bob Black became the first African American staff photographer hired at the Chicago Sun-Times. A month later, he was on the streets of Chicago photographing history as the unrest on the West Side following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. unfolded dramatically through the lens of his camera.

“I can’t believe I was even involved in all of that, being an observer of it all. It’s just so unreal sometimes,” Black told Chicago Stories.

Black grew up on the South Side of Chicago and became ... Read more

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Lead support for Chicago Stories is provided by The Negaunee Foundation.

Major support is provided by Gwen Cohen and the TAWANI Foundation.

Funding for Chicago Stories: When the West Side Burned is provided by Joel M. Friedman, President, Alvin H. Baum Family Fund; The Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation; Connie L. Lindsey; and Walter and Shirley Massey.